Pick shaft stop



Aug. 28, 1956 c, c, ROGERS 2,760,523

PICK SHAFT STOP Filed June 1, 1954 k 36'; 22 Cecil 6. Rogers W/W/flfl/ II///////' BY -mg United States Patent G PICK SHAFT STOP Cecil C. Rogers,Danville, Ga. Application June 1, 1954, Serial No. 433,504

4 Claims. (Cl. 139-147) This invention comprises novel and usefulimprovements in a pick shaft stop and more specifically pertains to anattachment which may be readily applied to conventional looms to providea cushioning, shock absorbing stop for the pick mechanism of looms.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a cushioning shockabsorber stopping device which will yieldingly bring the 'pick shaft andthe picker stick to a stop with a minimum of shock or vibration beingimparted to the other mechanism of the loom.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment inaccordance with the preceeding objects which will obviate the necessityfor providing leathers, and the like, and thus will eliminate thenecessity for replacing the same when wear develops.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an attachment whichmay be easily installed, may be readily adjusted to fit any particularinstallation in a loom, and which will be disposed in an accessible butunobtrusive and out-of-the-way location. v

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a pickshaft stop which may be readily adjusted as wear develops therein; whichshall have a single long lived shock absorbing element which may bereadily replaced when desired; and which shall be inexpensive as tocost, installation and maintenance.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the ac-- companying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a portion of a conventional form of loom showing the pickshaft of the same together with the stop attachment forming the subjectof this invention operatively applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section being takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of Figure1, alternative positions of the picker stick and the pick shaft stopbeing shown in dotted lines therein; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional detailed view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of Figure 2.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown a portion of a conventionalloom, a portion of the loom frame being shown at 10, and in which isjournaled as at 12 a conventional pick shaft 14 which carries the usualpicker arm 16 thereon. During the operation of the loom, as is wellknown, the picker arm 16 is caused to oscillate by the rocking movementof the shaft 14 which is rigidly connected through the usual pick shaftoperating mechanism (not shown), and during such operation it impartsmovement to the picker stick and to the shuttle during the functioningof the weaving process of the loom. Customarily, the picker stick uponthe end of its stroke is brought to a sudden standstill or stop by meansof a leather strap which acts as a pad or abutment for the 2,760,523Patented Aug. 28, 1956 "2 same. Such conventional arrangements haveheretofore been found to impart an excessive amount of shock andvibration to the associated parts of the loom mechanism, with aresultant decrease in the life and eificiency 'of operation of the same.Still further, the result in undue wear upon the picker stick itselffrequently necessitates replacement of the same; and upon the cushioningleather, with a like undesirable result.

In the present invention, however, there is provided an attachmentwhereby the picker stick is brought to a cushioned stop without anyresultant wear upon the picker stick; and whereby the usual leathers canbe completely omitted. For that purpose, there is provided a striker 18secured to the pick shaft 14 in any desired position thereon and a shockabsorber 20 which is mounted in such position as to be engaged by thestriker and to bring the same to a cushioned stop, thus causingcessation of the stroke of the picker stick without any engagement orwear of the same.

As shown in Figure 2, the striker preferably comprises a metallic strapwhich is substantially U-shaped, the same having a pair of legs 22 and24 which are adapted to embrace the pick shaft 14 and to be clampedfirmly thereto as by the bolts 26. This strap is provided with a curvednose portion 28 which constitutes a cam or abutment member as set .forthhereinafter. If desired, flat surfaces may be .milled in the pick shaft.14 to receive the bolts 26 thereby rigidly mounting the striker uponthe shaft in a manner which will prevent either axial or rotationalmovement of the striker with respect to the shaft. The striker is thuscompelled to oscillate o'r'r'oc'k with the shaft as will .now beapparent.

The shock absorber 20 may conveniently comprise a cylinder 30 which maybe welded as -at 32 or otherwise secured to a fiat plate 34 constitutinga mounting base, and a supporting plate or disc 36 is disposed in thelower portion of this cylinder. Slidable in the upper end of thecylinder is a plunger 38 in the form of a cylinder, or the like, andwhich is provided with an internally threaded bore 40 in which isthreaded an adjusting screw 42 extending above the plunger. A verticalslot 44 is preferably formed on one side of the plunger and a guidemeans 46 in the form of a bolt is threaded into the side of the cylinderand into the slot 44 to prevent rotation of the plunger while permittingfree axial reciprocation of the same, in a manner which will be readilyapparent from a comparison of Figures 2 and 3.

Disposed between the lower end of the plunger and the supporting disc orplate 36 is a cushioning body 50. This cushioning means may be of anydesired character, it being merely essential that the same shallconstitute a yi'eldable resistance to downward sliding movement of theplunger within the cylinder.

Although the invention is not limited thereto, it has been found to beespectially satisfactory to form this cushioning body as a tubularmember, of an elastic, resilient, deformable material such as rubber, orthe like, and to provide the same with an axial bore 52 to facilitatethe deforming and compressing of this body.

The body and plunger are so positioned and the ad-' justing screw 42 isso regulated that when the picker stick reaches the end of its pickingoperation as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the abutment or camsurface 20 will be depressed as shown in dotted lines thereby engagingthe adjusting screw 42 and urging the plunger 38 downwardly to therebydeform, compress and collapse the elastic member 50. Thus, thisincreasing resistance upon the downward travel of the plunger willresiliently cushion and bring to a stop the pick shaft and picker"stick, without imparting the usual shocks and vibrations.

and wear to the associated parts of the mechanism of the-- loom.

As wear develops, it is obvious that the screw 42 may be adjusted totake up the slack and thus maintain the necessary degree of resistanceto the pivoting movement of the pick shaft and the picker stick.

The arrangement is such that the resilient elastic member can be readilyreplaced when required.

As shown in Figure 1, the base plate 34 of the shock absorbing devicemay be detachably secured as by bolts, or the like, 54, to a bed plateportion 56 of the framework of the loom; or alternatively may be mountedupon the floor upon which the loom is mounted. In any event, theattachment is positioned in an unobtrusive manner substantially belowthe pick shaft, where the attachment may be readily inspected andserviced as required.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modification and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pick shaft stop for looms comprising a striker, means securing saidstriker to a pick shaft in a laterally projecting position foroscillation therewith, a shock absorber positioned in the path of travelof the striker for engagement by the latter at one extreme of itsmovement whereby to yieldingly stop the oscillation of the pick shaft,said shock absorber comprising an open ended cylinder, means supportingsaid cylinder with its axis disposed vertically and its open end at itstop, a plunger slidably mounted in said cylinder and protruding abovethe open upper end thereof for engagement by said striker, meansyieldingly resisting movement of said plunger in said cylinder by saidstriker, said striker having a curved surface for engaging said shockabsorber and having a. wiping contact therewith.

2. A pick shaft stop for looms comprising a striker, means securing saidstriker to a pick shaft in a laterally projecting position foroscillation therewith, a shock absorber positioned in the path of travelof the striker for engagement by the latter at one extreme of itsmovement whereby to yieldingly stop the oscillation of the pick shaft,said shock absorber comprising an open ended cylinder, means supportingsaid cylinder with its axis disposed vertically and its open end at itstop, a plunger slidably mounted in said cylinder and protruding abovethe open upper end thereof for engagement by said striker, meansyieldingly resisting movement of said plunger in said cylinder by saidstriker, said striker having a curved surface for engaging said shockabsorber and having a wiping contact therewith, said striker comprisinga U-shaped member, means securing the legs of the member to the pickshaft, the central portion of the member having a rounded nose carryingsaid curved surface.

3. The combination of claim 1 including means adjusting the operationlength of said plunger and having a contact surface engageable by saidstriker.

4. The combination of claim 1 including guide means preventing rotationof said plunger in said cylinder.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 661,665Maloney Nov. 13, 1900 2,330,519 Santon Sept. 28, 1943 2,491,909 SaurerDec. 20, 1949 2,642,093 Picanol June 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,447Great Britain Mar. 22, 1950 735,605 France Nov. 10, 1932

